Firth is slated to play the uncle of a young tearaway from the mean streets of London. Photograph: Ian Gavan/Getty Images

Colin Firth is set to star in the James Bond-style comic-book movie The Secret Service for director Matthew Vaughn.

The Oscar-winning British actor is in line to play the uncle of the main character, a young tearaway from the mean streets of London recruited into a British spy school that turns out suave and sophisticated young agents in the vein of 007. Scottish writer Mark Millar, who wrote the six-issue comic book, has described the setup as "James Bond meets My Fair Lady". The Hollywood Reporter says Firth's character recruits his nephew into the service.

As well as directing, Vaughn has co-written the screenplay for the film with regular collaborator Jane Goldman. The trio worked together on the well-received 2010 superhero movie Kick-Ass, based onMillar's comic book of the same name. The Secret Service is said to have been written with a film adaptation in mind. The movie version will be Firth's first comic-book movie.